NEWS: Audi R8 LMS Ultra GT3 Victory @ Nurburgring 24-Hour

Audi have finally nailed their first victory at the awesome Nurburgring 24-Hour – with their epic R8 LMS ultra GT3. And not just a victory, but a 1-2 on the podium and three R8's in the top 10. Congratulations to them! The blue and yellow Bilstein-livery beast of an R8 blitzed to overall victory, lapping the epic GP and Nordschleife circuit some 155 times, driven by Marc Bassend, Christopher Haase, Frank Stippler and Markus Winkelhock, and run by Audi Sport Team Phoenix. The Team Mamerow Racing R8 LMS ultra GT3 came second, driven by Christian Apt, Michael Ammermuller, Armin Hahne and Christian Mamerow. Weather conditions were typically Eifel and challenging and the standard of cars in the GT3 class higher than ever – making for one of the toughest races in recent years. Many cars fell by the wayside, were struck with mechanical issues or, as is the way in this race, crashed... including one of the top Audi R8's, car No.2, running in front at the time (finishing fifth as a result). Previous Porsche winners (five times in six years) of the event and pole position runners, Manthey Racing could not repeat their usual Green Hell form, ending up in the wall of the GP circuit lapping a back marker, dropping them back from a podium place. In fact, the top placed Porsche was our pal Sabine Schmitz and Klaus Abbelen in the Frikadelli Racing Team 911 GT3, finishing sixth and the only 911 in the top 10! The times, they are a-changing...
The 2012 ADAC Nurburgring 24-Hour final results were:
1. Basseng/Haase/Stippler/Winkelhock (Audi R8 LMS ultra), 155 laps
2. Abt/Ammermüller/Hahne/Mamerow (Audi R8 LMS ultra) + 3m 35.303s
3. Frankenhout/Simonsen/Kaffer/Arnold (Mercedes-Benz) + 11m 31.116s
4. Leinders/Palttala/Martin (BMW) – 1 lap
5. Fässler/Mies/Rast/Stippler (Audi R8 LMS ultra) – 4 laps
6. Abbelen/Schmitz/Brück/Huisman (Porsche) – 4 laps
7. Müller/Müller/Alzen/Adorf (BMW) – 5 laps
8. Hürtgen/Schwager/Bastian/Adorf (BMW) – 5 laps
9. Klingmann/Wittmann/Göransson/Lamy (BMW) – 5 laps
10. Zehe/Hartung/Rehfeld/Bullitt (Mercedes-Benz) – 5 laps